"In plain Texas talk, it's 'do the right thing'"
About this Quote
Perot, the billionaire outsider, needed a phrase that made his wealth read as competence rather than privilege. By framing ethics as plain sense, he sidesteps ideology. "Do the right thing" is deliberately vague; it invites agreement without specifying policy, letting listeners fill in their own grievance or reform agenda. That vagueness is a feature: it turns politics into a test of character rather than a fight over trade-offs. For a businessman, its also a promise of execution. The implied contrast is with politicians who "talk" while he "does."
Context matters: Perot rose in an era of public disgust with insider deals and budget theatrics, when the national appetite was for an adult in the room who sounded like your no-nonsense uncle. The subtext is populist but not anti-capitalist: the system is broken because people arent behaving decently, and a straight shooter can fix it by restoring basic standards. Its a moral pitch disguised as common sense, aimed at voters tired of being sold abstractions.
Quote Details
| Topic | Honesty & Integrity |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Perot, Ross. (2026, January 18). In plain Texas talk, it's 'do the right thing'. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-plain-texas-talk-its-do-the-right-thing-1611/
Chicago Style
Perot, Ross. "In plain Texas talk, it's 'do the right thing'." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-plain-texas-talk-its-do-the-right-thing-1611/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"In plain Texas talk, it's 'do the right thing'." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-plain-texas-talk-its-do-the-right-thing-1611/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







